Back Into the Fray: Daschle Talks Health Care

April 24, 2009— -- He's been a longtime force inside Washington's most influential circles, so perhaps it's no surprise that Tom Daschle says it's an adjustment to be out of the loop.

"It's hard in some ways," the former U.S. senator told ABC News' Tim Johnson today on "Good Morning America," nearly three months after withdrawing from consideration to become President Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services. "I'm more free now. I'm a little more -- flexible."

Still, in his first television interview since his very public exit from team Obama, Daschle, once Senate majority leader, made clear that he hasn't completely stepped away the workings of Washington, the Obama White House and his former Senate colleagues.

"I'd like to think we're still very close," Daschle said. "We talk with some frequency. They are very involved of course on a day-to-day basis on Capitol Hill and, to a large extent, I am still able to talk to my fellow colleagues as well as with those whom I would have worked with at the department."

Just four months ago, Daschle appeared to be at the top of his game. Obama called him "one of America's foremost health care experts" and "the original no-drama guy" while discussing the future of the health care system in December.

"Tom brings more than just great expertise to this task, he brings the respect he earned during his years of leadership in Congress," Obama said. "He knows how to reach across the aisle and bridge partisan divides. And he has the trust of folks from every angle of this issue: doctors, nurses and patients; unions and businesses; hospitals and advocacy groups -- all of whom will have a seat at the table as we craft our plan."

But controversy quickly followed, with the former South Dakota senator withdrawing his name from consideration in early February after questions surfaced about his taxes. Daschle failed to declare on his income taxes a chauffeur service that he used for years, as tax laws require. Though he corrected the violation during the vetting process, he was unable to overcome the political hurdles that came with the territory.

Still, today Daschle talked politics. He tackled the cost of health care reform for American families, and weighed in on whether that reform can happen soon.

Daschle Talks Universal Coverage and Health Care Reform

Daschle said that "unfortunately" there's "support and validity" to the argument that if health care reform can't be tackled this year, it will be virtually impossible to get done. But he also said there's no question the president is committed to the cause.

"I don't think there's any doubt that President Obama feels as strongly about this as any issue before him today," Daschle said. "I believe he believes this is a key part of his legacy as president of the United States."

Indeed, Obama has said one of his priorities would be giving everyone access to affordable health care. But talk of a plan for universal coverage has left the private health insurance industry worried they can't compete and divided lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

"Whether or not we can come to some compromise in some way with which to resolve this difference remains to be seen," Daschle said.

He also addressed whether Americans will pay a price for that reform. Though health care is a rare segment of the economy that is still growing, some worry cutting health care costs could result in people losing their jobs.

"Obviously, job loss could be a factor," Daschle said. "But if we have reduced our administrative costs, if we have eliminated unnecessary care, if we've eliminated a lot of the medical mistakes because we're using best practices and greater efficiency, that's a cost savings. All those cost savings is what exactly-- the American people want to see."

Obama announced on March 2 that he had selected Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as his new pick to become Secretary of Health and Human Services.